Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Threads Of Gold



I'm not a photographer, so I'm not sure how well you can see these photographs, but my little tree house has been honored by the presence of a spider, in the most perfect spider web. I opened my terrace doors this morning and I saw what looked like golden thread, gleaming in the sunlight. Inspecting it closer, it saw the most perfect spider web, neatly anchored on one side to a planter box, and on the other side to the roof of my terrace. In the middle, basking in the sunshine, is a little golden spider whom I have named -- what else -- Charlotte.

Charlotte's creation reminds me of a rose window in a grand cathedral, it is such a wonderful feat of engineering. And it's all done by one teeny, tiny little spider. Charlotte obviously worked very hard to create this little home and she's not disturbing anyone, so I am going to leave her there as the perfect accoutrement to my terrace. Somehow, it makes it feel complete. If you click on the pictures, you can get a better look. If anyone out there knows anything about spiders, perhaps you can tell me what type of spider is Charlotte?

28 comments:

Stephen Leach said...

Ugh. Hate spiders. Sorry, but theyre icky. Mehh. Oh well, nice post. :)

Deb said...

wonderful photo of the spider's work...and your photo is top notch!

Pat said...

Don't like spiders much myself, but I'm amazed at the intricate work on their web. It really is a thing of beauty. Nice pics!

The Bug said...

Beautiful web! Our new house has a number of webs up in the corners - but I'm leaving them be until we get completely moved in. They'll eat all the insects that come in as we're going in & out...

Patsy said...

It also reminds me of my childhood story, “Charlotte's Web.” I like the photography.
~Lorna

Alissa Grosso said...

This looks just like the spider and web on the back deck here. I ate my lunch outside the other day and accidentally bumped the web at one of the anchors, ruining it. I felt so bad. I watched the spider carefully gathering all of the web back up as I apologized to it. The next day I looked out and there was a bigger and better web than before.

SparkleFarkel said...

Man, that's some spidey web! Looks like the kind Johnny Weissmuller use to get hung up in, in those old Tarzan movies! If you accidentally fall into one, Johnny use to chew his way out of them. That could work for you, but let's hope it doesn't come to that. (PUT THAT LOIN CLOTH DOWN! We don't want to be pushing fate, ya know! LOL!) The web: simply beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of my own garden spider, last year!
http://eliseblogsherlife.blogspot.com/2008/10/along-came-spider.html

Marguerite said...

Fantastic photo, Jo! I'm not very fond of spiders, since some of them bite, but love Charlotte's Web.

Brenda said...

Well I am jealous! I tried last summer to take a picture of a HUGE spider web with a GIANT spider in the middle and none of my pictures turned out. I was so sad and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't show up on film, or digital... Your pictures are really good!!! That is one of the most interesting webs I have ever seen captured on a photo.
I know nothing about spiders, so I can not help you out on the type.
Happy Canada Day Jo!

lesthook said...

I don't know their technical name but we call them writer spiders. Used to have a few at my old house. I always left them alone as they have beautiful webs and eat a lot of bugs!

LoraLee said...

Yeah, that really is a great web. I'm not too much of a huge fan of spiders, but it is pretty amazing how they can do that.

Shaista said...

What a beautiful post - so typical of your style to appreciate something others may fail to notice. If only Charlotte knew she was famous in the blogging world :)

Essie said...

I love spiders and I always leave their webs alone around the house. So interesting that this spider is called a "writer", apparently she wanted to be in the blog!

Jennifer D said...

web and a lovely post to match. We leave spiders alone at our house unless they are in the shower then they are found a new home outside. I really dislike mosquitos so I love spiders!

Land of shimp said...

It's a lovely photograph, and the web shows up spectacularly. Isn't it amazing how much life, intricate and busy, that goes on around us?

Thank you for not wrecking the web! I don't mind spiders, or find them frightening and I loved the pictures.

There's a house in San Jose, California that has lovely stained glass windows of spider webs. The Winchester House, actually, rather famous for its eccentric owner, I just wanted to point it out because your impulse to tie the workings of the web into stained glass was shared!

Not to compare you to poor, tormented Sarah Winchester, it just happened to be the first thing I thought of when I saw your picture display.

Rosaria Williams said...

What a beautiful picture, and a lovely analogy too.

Mariana Soffer said...

You are an amazing photographer, they are really great the images. And I liked charlotte too, although I don t know which kind of spider it is. This reminds me to the form a fractal can take given an algorithm with the correct parameters.

meggie said...

I had a few photos on a post which I took while the busy little spider wover her magic web. They truly are works of art. I love the Golden aspect of your little friend!

Anonymous said...

Great photo and post. When we lived in Canberra some mornings I would get up to find webs glistening with dew, it seemed so magical and beautiful, I wish I had taken photos. Love the comparision with the window, so very apt.

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Pretty good photos there, Jo. I wish Charlotte and her home many happy summer days. May the sun shine brightly and the flies come aplenty.

PhilipH said...

I usually show your posts to my wife - but not this one!

Even a photo of a spider causes near panic; she's arachnophobia personified.

Personally, I reckon that's a jolly good photo.

Phil

Living Day to Day with Multiple Sclerosis said...

That spider web is beautiful. You took a great photo of it. I too hate to ruin beautiful webs as long as they are not in my house!!!

Rachael @ The Little Birdie said...

Spiders give me the willies, but that is the most perfect, beautiful web I think I've ever seen!

Hilary said...

Nicely done, Jo. Webs can be very difficult to capture in a photo.

VioletSky said...

I hate spiders - even though I know they are most useful - and it took a lot to look at those photos. But, that is the most spectacularly perfect web I have ever seen. Take the spider out of the picture and I could admire it for ages.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I love spider webs. They are absolutely beautiful, perfect works of art. And your photos are great!

Paula Slade said...

Awesome creatures they are - I had two round, fat grayish-black ones on my deck last summer and I let them be. They were so fascinating to watch. When the colder weather came they simply disappeared. I had hoped they found a warmer place to hide and would return with the spring, but they didn't, and now I have a new tenant that's watching me as I am watching it.